Daily Staff Journal  11-Nov-69

ITEM

TIME

INCIDENTS, MESSAGES, ORDERS, ETC.

01

0001

LOG OPENED:
Supporting information for today's events:  Bn. Cmdr LTC Donald O. Crutchley, XO Maj Courtney Rittgers, S3 Maj. Dexter Branscome, S3 Air Cpt Thomas Waldera, S1 Cpt Anthony Barone, S2 Cpt William Branch, S4 Cpt Robert Scheifele, S5 Michael Collier

Locations:  FSB Patton XT583194, PB Hunsley XT596270, Venice East XT577183, Trung Lap XT593214.

Ballgame:
   A Co (-) 2 4-ship lifts PZ Patton 1st lift 1030 hours, 2nd lift 1045 hours, C/A LZ-3 (624292) search area (623291-618292-622304-626297), PZ (626292) 1530 and 1545 hours, return to FSB.  One platoon occupy Venice East and tower at FSB, conduct road sweep on 7A from Trung Lap to Highway 1 0645 hours.
   B Co (-) 2 4-ship lifts PZ PB Hunsley, 1st lift 1000 hours 2nd lift 1015 hours, after artillery prep C/A LZ-2 (617302) search area (619305-622304-618292-615295), PZ (615295), 1500 and 1515 hours return to PB, conduct 1 NCP
   C Co continues Bushmaster, airlift from area of operation 1030 hours to FSB.  Care and maintenance of equipment.  Conduct 2 NCPs vicinity FSB.
   D Co OpCon to 3/4 Cav
   3rd Co 2/49 2 4-ship lifts PZ Trung Lap, 1st lift 0930 hours, 2nd lift 0945 hours, after artillery prep, C/A LZ-1 (630300), 1430 and 1445 hours, return to Trung Lap
   1st Co/2nd Co & HHC conduct Battalion (-) operation LD 0600 hours (580197), 1 Co recon to obj-20 (571201), obj-22 (557199), obj-24 (550193), obj-25 (545201), obj-26 (550210), obj-28 (560218), obj-30 (575220), to Trung Lap.  2nd Co recon to obj-21 (566195), obj-23 (559189), obj-24 (550193), obj-25 (545201), obj-27 (557212), obj-29 (567214), obj-31 (580213), return to Trung Lap.

02

0035

Brigade:  SLAR picked up 599301 1 VC on road 0025 hours, fired 1 round high explosive 105mm

03

0100

Sitrep - negative

04

0135

Radar Hunsley picked up 581264 2-3 individuals moving southwest, fired 20 81mm high explosive rounds

05

0200

Sitrep - negative

06

0250

2 rounds impacted to the southeast of Patton at 0201 hours.  Shell rep found no fins, believed to be a rifle grenade fired from the southeast.  Counter-mortar and H&I fires were employed

07

0300

Sitrep - negative

08

0330

Brigade:  1/5th (Mech) will change call sign and push at 0700 on 11 Nov.  New call sign Pitted Sentry.  New push 50.60

09

0400

Sitrep - negative

10

0500

Sitrep - negative

11

0554

Patton fence off, S.O.

12

0605

CRIP departing on ballgame

13

0607

A Co NCP breaking position

14

0625

A Co NCP AP-B closed Patton

15

0708

B Co NCP closed

16

0720

Brigade:  Request clearance for air strike at (651248), cleared

17

0721

CRIP at location (620210), have 7 VC spotted, request LST.  Cancelled at 0725 hours, were friendlies

18

0722

Bn (-) 2/49 location (571201)

19

0725

A Co road sweep teams departed

20

0726

Brigade:  Request grid (660260) with 1 kilometer buffer for air strike until 1800 hours.  Cleared

21

0758

[Late Entry] 1/5th (Mech) AO request:  South of grid line 19, east of grid 62, air operations 0715-0930 hours.  Approved

22

0803

A Co:  7A clear to Trung Lap from Patton

23

0811

B Co NCP position (588262) call AP-B1, US 13

24

0812

CRIP all checkpoints in location (595220), (603213)

25

0815

LNO:  Locations:  1st Co 2/49 (557199), 2nd Co 2/49 (559189)

26

0819

2nd Bde Avn 2 on station for taxi

27

0835

Brigade:  Sniff mission #1 (6223-6623-6528-6228), #2 (5729-north to Brigade boundary and 6029 to the Brigade boundary)

28

0839

CRIP:  5 sandbags of polished rice at (608211)

29

0845

LNO:  Artillery firing close to friendlies at location (544194), artillery shut off

30

0846

Brigade:  Request clearance for 25th Avn Bn to expend ordnance at (640264).  Cleared

31

0920

LNO:  Locations Bn (-) 2/49 (550193)

32

0920

116th Avn 6 on station for C&C ship

33

0920

C Co found recent trail leading north (598238)

34

0929

CRIP locations:  (595220), (602212), (609211)

35

0945

Brigade:  Request AO Branch for free fire zone for 25th Avn.  Cleared

36

0946

CRIP:  PF unit found medical supplies, flashlight, 6 yards material, 2 documents, plastic rubberized bags, some personal items

37

1005

3rd Co 2/49 1st lift airborne Trung Lap 0940 hours, down green (630300) 0952 hours.  2nd lift airborne Trung Lap 0959 hours, down green (630300) 1005 hours.

38

1022

C Co found two grenades booby-trapped with trip wire, one tripped approximately 2 days ago, had not gone off.  The other tripped by C Co, negative casualties

39

1027

B Co 1st lift airborne Hunsley 1009 hours, down green (618305), 1021 hours.  2nd lift airborne Hunsley 1025 hours

40

1030

Brigade:  Request clearance for air strike at grid (640264) at 1100 hours.  Cleared

41

1038

B Co WIA's one artillery personnel, type of booby-trap was a buried Chicom grenade with a stick for pressure release or tilt rod, also 4 other booby-traps of the same type (620302)

42

1037

[Late Entry]  B Co request Medevac, urgent, 2 litter (618305).  Cancelled, dustoff picked up by 116th Avn, taken to 12th Evac

43

1100

C Co 2nd platoon closed Patton

44

1106

Locations:  3 Co 2/49 (628303), B Co (620302)

45

1119

S-3 Assistant:  Blade hours report 22.15 hours at 1130 hours

46

1124

A Co 1st lift airborne Patton 1104 hours, down green (623289) 1110 hours, 2nd lift airborne Patton 1118 hours, down green (623289) 1124 hours

47

1130

S-3 Assistant:  116th Avn 94 has 2 body count, 1 AK at (618288)

48

1135

C Co closed Patton

49

1140

Locations:  3rd Co 2/49 (626305), Bn (-) 2/49 (545201), B Co (618300), A Co same location, CRIP location

50

1145

Bn CO:  Request LST 116th Avn have 30 to 40 minutes on station

51

1154

S-3:  Requested Psyops to work with A Co

52

1155

Received unclassified message "Hollis Sends", Subject: Potential Protest Activity cite 11009

53

1155

Received classified message, Subject:  New Techniques

54

1200

C Co AP-1 (593191) 12 US, AP-2 (572201) 12 US

55

1208

3/4 Cav 45 on station

56

1220

2nd Brigade Avn 2 on station with overlay

57

1240

Locations:  1st Co 2/49 (550210 & 552206), 3rd Co (627308), A Co (619281), B Co (618298)

58

1245

A Co found 1 table, 2-3 gallon water jugs, 2 bunkers 4x8x6, 2 body count VC, 1 AK, 1 wallet with some documents, location (619281), will destroy bunkers

59

1245

CRIP all elements closed

60

1255

3/4 Cav 45 going off station

61

1312

S-3 Assistant:  A Co found bunker 10x10x5 with 10 inches overhead cover

62

1325

Commo 2/14:  QSL on 5 daily reports 1325 hours

63

1330

Locations:  3rd Co 2/49 (629303), B Co (618292), A Co (619289), 1st Co 2/49 (560218), 2nd Co 2/49 (557212)

64

1415

B Co location (618293) found 1 butterfly bomb, 1 Chicom grenade, 1 M-26 hand grenade, negative booby-trap

65

1415

LNO:  2nd Co 2/49 (567214)

66

1427

B Co (618293) have trap door into which they are firing, found 50 AK rounds, hand tools, old clothes

67

1433

Locations:  1st Co 2/49 (568218), 2nd Co 2/49 (567214), all others at same locations

68

1435

C Co:  RRF for 82nd Airborne & 3rd Brigade 111700-121700

69

1450

Brigade:  AO 1HR, south of grid line 27 and north of 25 along river, approved until 1800 hours

70

1500

Brigade:  AO Branch no longer a free fire zone

71

1500

LNO:  Locations:  1st Co 2/49 (585220), 2nd Co 2/49 (580123)

72

1500

A Co 1st lift airborne (622291), 1449 hours, down green (657259), 1453 hours, 2nd lift airborne (622291), 1457, down green

73

1500

B Co received fire from hole, 1 Kit Carson scout wounded location (615294).  WIA will be extracted by one of AMC choppers to 12th Evac.  "Medevac" complete at 1515

74

1520

Brigade:  3/4 Cav 45 enroute to Patton

75

1525

3/4 Cav 45 on station

76

1534

116th Avn 22 bringing IPW team to A Co

77

1539

LNO:  Bn (-) closed Trung Lap

78

1544

B Co 1st lift airborne 1513 hours from (615295), down green 1518 hours at Hunsley, 2nd lift airborne 1540 hours from (615295), down green Hunsley 1544 hours

79

1545

S-3 Assistant:  Blade report at 1530 hours used 34 hours and 5 minutes

80

1550

Battalion Commander:  Requested 2nd Brigade Avn to extract sight - the rocket or anti-aircraft sight in two large pieces.  It is Chicom 12.7mm

81

1610

CRIP new NCP roving patrol 605215 to 608207 from 1830 to 2300 hours

82

1620

LNO:  AO request 120600-121800 (594210-615210-615186-585199).  Ballgame 495 RF LD 800 obj-A (601194), obj-B (607191), obj-C (611205), obj-D (605201), return to Trung Lap

83

1620

LNO:  AO request 12060-121800 (576230-600246-616226-594210), 3rd Co 2/49 LD 0800 obj-1 (586224), obj-2 (587232), obj-3 (599242), divide one element, obj-4 (601235), obj-7 (602221), return to Trung Lap.  One element obj-5 (605237), obj-6 (608229), obj-7 (602221), return to Trung Lap

84

1625

Forward Air Controller 23 spotted footprints in same location as air strike (669265), also quite a few 4x4 bunkers and 2 camouflage hooches

85

1625

3rd Co 2/49 1st lift airborne 1625 from (630302), down green 1630 hours.  2nd lift airborne 1635 hours (630302), down green 1638 hours

86

1628

3/4 Cav 45 off station

87

1630

S-3 Assistant:  At 1630 hours 41 blade hours used

88

1653

Brigade:  We have air from 0815 to 0845 12-Nov.  Coordinate with 2/12 for extraction in afternoon

89

1658

A Co 1 lift airborne 1647 from (656260), down green 1650.  2nd lift airborne 1654, down green 1658

90&91

1720

S-3 Assistant:  AMC released 46 hours 55 minutes, blade hours report

92

1820

C Co AP-1 and AP-2 kicked off

93

1820

LNO:  2/49 AP's - 587215, 593220, 599202, 598216, 598208, 586208, 585204, 592205, 594201

94

1857

CRIP AP departed

95

1855

[Late Entry] B Co NCP A&B departed

96

1905

CRIP roving patrol for tonight 605210-608209

97

1920

LNO:  AO request 120600-121800, 3rd Co 2/49 (576230. 600247, 616226, 615210)  LD 0800 hours, recon to obj-1 (586224), obj-2 (587232), obj-3 (599242), split, one element to obj-4 (601235), one element to obj-5 (605237), join at obj-6 (608229), obj-7 (615220), split, one element to obj-8 (602221), one to obj-9 (606214), return to Trung Lap

98

1930

C Co AP-2 new location 573201

99

1930

Tower sighted 2 individuals grid 587186, fired 4.2 8 rounds high explosive

100

1940

B Co NCP-B in position

101

1945

CRIP check points for 12 Nov 0600-1100, 587220, 598203, 595225

102

2010

CRIP:  Tower spotted 2 individuals 593231, expended 7 rounds 4.2 high explosive

103

2055

CRIP NCP closed

104

2037

[Late Entry] C Co AP-1 new location 593190

105

2100

C Co AP-2 in position 573201

106

2101

LNO:  Reports 495th PP has H&I grid 100-200 meters north of C Co NCP-2.  LNO advised 495th not to shoot

107

2145

Radar Venice East 578177 picked up 2-3 individuals moving east, negative clearance to fire

108

2200

Sitrep - negative

109

2300

Sitrep - negative

110

2340

Trung Lap radar at 1923 hours picked up 598283 4-5 individuals moving north, fired 30 rounds 105mm high explosive

111

2400

Sitrep - negative

112

2400

Summary:  At 0201 hours 2 rounds impacted to the southeast of Patton, they were believed to be rifle grenades.  There were no casualties and counter-mortar was fired.
   CRIP found 5 sandbags of polished rice at 608211 at 0839 hours.  At 0920 hours C Co found a blood trail leading north (598239).  A PF unit found medical supplies, flashlight, 2 documents and rubberized bags.
   3rd Co 2/49 was heliborned to 630300 at 0952 hours.  B Co heliborned to 618305 at 1021 hours, at 1038 hours vicinity 620302 B Co had 2 WIA, both artillery, guessed they hit a Chicom grenade booby-trap.  There were four more booby-traps in the area.  Both WIAs were dusted off to the 12th Evac.  A Co was inserted at 1104 hours vicinity 623289.  At 1130 the 116th Avn killed 2 VC at 618288. 
   A Co found 1 table, 2 3-gallon water jugs, 2 bunkers 4x8x6 along with 2 bodies and 1 AK rifle vicinity 619281.  A 10x5x10 bunker with 10 inches overhead cover was also found.
   At 1500 hours B Co was fired on at 615294.  One Kit Carson scout was wounded and dusted off and later died.  One company was extracted without further incident between 1540 hours to 1700 hours.

113

2400

Log closed